Razor blade sharpener



Odi. 29, 1940. W- H pAmqSQN 2,219,750

I RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER Filed March 6, 1940 1 9.1 153.5 0\ H5 f3 14 Patented Oct. 29, 1940 ILJMTEDI STATES PATENT OFFICE RAZORYBLADE SHARPENER Wilbur H. Parkison, Arlington; Va.

. Application March 6, 1940, Serial No. 322,423

s claims.. (o1. 51-161) This` invention relates to sharpening devices, particularly to those adapted Vfor sharpening double edged razor blades.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described adaptedr for automatically reversing a blade by improved means operative without the need for cams or gears.

Another object of the invention is to provide a deviceof the nature set forth for sharpening. opposite faces of opposite edges of a razor blade, with the utilization of `simple improved means comprising a cylindrical member having a longitudinal slot opening directly communicatingwith the internal sharpening face of the member.

Another objectof the invention isthe provision oi a device of the class alluded to whereby improved means cooperates with a blade'4 holder that is rotatable in one direction to cause revers-` ing of the blade forV alternate sharpening of the opposite faces of the blade edges by'direct coaction of the blade or of a freely revoluble blade carrier shaft rotatably mounted on the above mentioned holder, Where said cnaction takes place along the cylindrical surface of .an internal sharpening face. y

Another object 4of the invention is to provide a device ofthe nature set forth having an internal cylindrical face for simultaneously smoothing the opposite edges of a razor blade, in ccmbination with a hone set into said surface for improved sharpening action on the blade in course of its normal movement along the cylindrical face.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved device of the type mentioned having a simple disc rotor carrying a rotary blade holder along an outer face-of the rotor for sharpening the blade by wiping-.contact with the internal face of a cylindrical member from which the rotor is bodily removable and in which the rotor is journaled along the said internal face.

A further object of the vinvention is. to provide a device of the character described wherein improved means having an internal cylindrical face, is formed with a longitudinal well coacting for reversal of the blade so that said face is adapted to act on opposite sides of the blade, and with the said well being adapted to contain a lubricant if desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in View, the invention consists in the.Y novel combinations andar-v rangements .of partsA lfiereinafteru described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and'illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein likey parts are designated by rated position, and in partially openposition to receive a razor blade.

Fig..5` is a vertical sectional View on the line l 5--5 of Fig. 1, showing a plurality of blades and holders therefor to indicate the mode of oper'- ation of the-device in diierent positions of the blade in its circuit.`

Fig. 6 is agfragmentary sectional vievv showing the razor blade and its holder in course of being reversed. `V

Fig. '1 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 1-T of` Fig. 1, with parts removedy and show# ing. a driving element that may be employed.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a cylindricall member according to the invention, generally similar to that shown in Fig. 1., but modiiiedto provide an oil reservoir to facilitate the sharpening action.

The advantagesv of the invention as here outlinedare. best realized. when all of its features.

and instrumentalities are combined in oneand the. same structure, but, usetul devices maybe produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those, skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted vmerely as showing the preferred exemplication of the invention.

Generally described, the invention provides a cylindrical member having an internal face for smoothening or otherwise sharpening the opposite faces of both edges of a razor blade. Removably mounted within this member is a rotor which may seat directly againstk the sharpening face and. which may carry one or more freelyrotatable razor blade holders at points adjacent to the peripheryl of the rotor. In consequence each bladeeis. flexedagainst the sharpening surface so Vsns ldirectly with either the razor blade or its freelyl rotatable holder, or both, and in any event, uti, lizes the spring action of `the razor blade itself, whereby the leading edge of the latter is inher-` ently caused to engage over the marginal .ledge of the longitudinal opening to thereby initiate the reversing action, which may then be conpleted by contact with a side of the` blade or holderor both. As an aid to the occurrence of this action or as an alternative to the-co-ordination mentioned, a spindle portion of the razor blade holder may directly frictionally engage the cylindrical sharpeningsurface or an extension thereof, so that the resultant torque which constantly causes the blade holder to turn becomes instantly effective when the leading edge of the blade enters the'said longitudinal slot opening and may thus cause a reversing of the blade with or without direct Contact of the cylindrical sharpening surface with the blade or its holder. If desired, a hone may be employedas a portion of the sharpening surface so "arranged asy to affordl a substantially increased sharpening action. It will be appreciated that While the cylindrical member is preferably made of glass, it vmay also be constructed of other suitable materials which are capable of affording a perfectly smooth surface, and that it may be made in one or more pieces instead of las a one-piece structure herein disclosed. f

Referring in detail to the drawing, I denotes a device embodying the invention.` The same may `comprise a generally cylindrical'member II made of glass or other suitable material and which may have a separate or integral end wall I2, and a separate or integral offset portion I3 extending longitudinally thereof, land affording a compartment I4 having the mouth I5 thereof disposed along the internal cylindrical surface I6 of said member. It will be noted that the mouth I preferably affords an acute angle edge and that the chamber I4" divergesupwardly to thus afford a correspondingly divergent surface II for smooth'wiping contact with an edge of the razor blade as hereinafter described. At its forward end the member II may be wholly open,-

and the offset portion I3 may terminate at I8 so that the internal cylindrical surface at this point may beuninterrupted for a reason that Will hereinafter appear.

v Removably disposed within the cylindrical member II isa rotor I9 comprising a plurality of like bearing elements or disks 20 that lie in parallel planes and 4are rigidly centrally interconnected by a hub or shaft 2| which may-have a crank 22. The arrangement is such that when the rotor I9 is disposed within the cylindrical member II, the disks 2U are fairly snugly journaled within the cylindrical highly smooth face I6 of the member II, as will be readily perceived in Fig. 1, the rotor being inserted as far in as it will go, leaving the crank 22 projecting outwardly,

clear of the cylindrical member, sothat the VcrankA may be freely rotated while the cylindrical member is stationary.

Mounted upon the rotor I9 is a holder 23 adapted for securing any conventional double edge blade. This holder 23 is formed at its opposite ends with aligned spindles 24 journaled in very small openings 25 in the disks 20, these openings 25 being so relatively close to the periphery of said disks as to hold the razor blade in proper operative relation to the internal surface I6 of the cylindrical member. By `way of illustration, and without being limited thereto, the holder 23 may comprise a main bar 26 having a pair of very slight projections 2'I whose height is approxil matelyequal to the thickness of a razor blade,

these projections being adapted to enter the usual openings or holes by which the blade can be-secured in arazor. It will be noted that one side of the bar 26 is formed with a cut out 28 in which the projections 21 lie, and in which a locking element or bar 29 may be received. This element 29 may be pivotally connected to the bar 26 at 30, and thelatter may, moreover, be provided'with a groove or recess 3l into which the free end ofthe element 29 may be readily slidably inserted in an edgewise manner for a closed position vof the holder. Accordingly any razor -blade 32 may beplaced upon the bar 26 in engagement with lthe projections 21, whereupon the element 29 may be pivotally swung to closed position in alignment with the bar 26, so that said'element 29 becomes locked at 3I and thus reliably secures the razor blade in position. It will be perceivedthat the holder 23 is quite thin sothat it may permit the' razor blade to approach quite closely in a flatwise manner against the cylindrical surface I6', and thus to obtain a substantial flexure of the razor blade with corresponding.4 pressure of the edges thereof against said cylindrical surface. Preferably the holder 23 is also made quite narrow, although its width would appear to be of relatively lesser importance, This, however, will depend upon whether or not it be desired that the holder 23 be entirely clear of thecylindrical surface I6 at all times, or whether it be permissible for the edge portions thereof to enterV the mouth I5 as suggested in Fig; 6. i

For purposes of re-enforcement, or in order to provide a pulley like engagement with the cylindrical surface I6 to thus obtain such a torque as may be desired, the bar 26 may have trunnionlike portions33 which may be substantially larger in diameter than the spindles 24. The arrangement vin this regard may be such that the portions 33 may directly contact the cylindrical surface and may have a desired degree of frictional engagement'therewith. If preferred, the wall of the cylindrical member at I8 may be slightly undercut as indicated at 34 to receive a strip of any suitable frictional material 35 which may be pasted or otherwise secured therein, to thus provide increased frictional contact with the roller portions 33, whereby rotation of the razor blade holder is initiated instantaneously with the approach ofthe leading edge of the blade to the mouth I 5. At other points of the cylindrical member, the roller `portions 33 may merely slide with `a relatively low degree of frictional contact along the cylindrical surface I6.

At a suitable portion of the cylindrical surface I6, preferably remote from the chamber I4, there may be provided a hone 36`extending longitudinally of the cylindrical member and set into an undercut-3l thereof, but with one longitudinal edge portion of the hone projecting slightly inward of the cylindrical surface I6 as indicated at 38. As a result, the degree of flexure upon the razor blade is substantially increased and the pressure of the blade edges against the cylindrical surface is correspondingly enhanced for a substantially greater sharpening action. In other words, as the leading edge of the razor blade makes Contact with the hone, the adjacent cylindrical surface may be considered to have a substantially smaller radius so that the action above described directly occurs. This hone may consist of any suitable material, and accordingly the invention provides a combined smoothening and sharpening action upon the edges of a razor blade at both faces thereof, but with the smoothening action being relatively substantially greater than the honing action.

According to Fig. 8, the cylindrical member may be modied as shown at IIa with the provision at the open end thereof of an offset portion 39 so that the odset I3'a may constitute a reservoir to contain a small quantity of very thin oil that may be suitable to substantially increase the sharpening action on the razor blade. In other respects, the structure may be substantially like that of Fig. l, and it will be noted that the modication involves inverting the cylindrical member and closing the end of the offset portion thereof.

The manner of using the invention will now be briefly described. It is intended that the rotor I9 shall be rotated continuously in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 40 with the blade holder 23 moving along and in very close proximity to the cylindrical surface I6, and With the blade 32 longitudinally flexed thereagainst so that opposite edges of the blade simultaneously contact the said cylindrical surface. 'Ihe flexure mentioned stores a spring action which is relieved when the razor blade moves to the mouth I5,A

thereby causing the leading edge of the blade to move upward and to follow along the surface I'I with a diminished pressure which will not damage the edge of the blade, but it will be suflicient to initiate turning of the blade and its holder. As the clockwise motion continues, the rotation may be completed by a side of the blade or of the holder contacting the adjacent edge of the mouth I and as rotation progresses, the position of the blade and its holder will return to normal but in reversed relation. It will be noted that the structure involved requires that the edge at the mouth b e relatively thin. However, if the roller action is employed as indicated at 33 and 35, reversing rotation of the blade and its holder may occur independently of engagement at the mouth I5, and in consequence the edge of the latter may be relatively thick as preferred, and the slope at I'I might be omitted. As rotation of the rotor I9 continues, the opposite edges of the blade are subjected to the honing action of the element 36. It will thus be perceived that I have provided a device which is extremely simple and practical and highly adapted for reliable and convenient use.

I claim:

l. A device for sharpening double edged razor blades including a member having an internal `cylindrical sharpening surface interrupted by aV longitudinal opening, a rotor coaXially journaled in said member, and means comprising a freely rotatable blade holder journaled on said rotor adjacent to the periphery thereof and having an axis parallel to that of said member, said means having roller portions having frictional engagement with a wall portion of the member to thus cause the blade holder to make a one-half turn at said opening.

2. A device including a member having a smooth glass-hard internal cylindrical surface, and a honing element having a greater sharpening quality than said surface set into a portion of the wall of the member for acting on the edges of a razor blade which is pressed against said surface and moved therealong and along the honing element whereby the edges of the blade are alternately honed and smoothened, said honing element being flush at one edge with the said surface and being raised at an opposite edge to thus afford a curvature having a radius less than that of the said surface of the member.

3.. A device having a member having an internal cylindrical sharpening surface, a rotor axially journaled in said member, a blade holder freely rotatably mounted on said rotor adjacent to a periphery thereof, said member having a longitudinal chamber communicating with said surface by a longitudinal opening, said chamber affording a space for a turning movement of the blade holder and of a blade held thereby and constituting an oil reservoir for lubrication of the blade.

WILBUR H. PARKISON. 

